AAP factions brace for congregation at Bargari today

BATHINDA: To take on the ruling Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the two factions of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are all set to make their presence felt at Sunday’s congregation in Bargari to mark the third anniversary of the death of two Sikh men in the Behbal Kalan police firing in 2015.

State AAP legislators had participated in the October 7 march from Kotkapura to Bargari in a show of strength wherein Sikh religious leaders Dhian Singh Mand and Baljit Singh Daduwal had demanded the arrest of the culprits of sacrilege incidents and the Behbal Kalan firing.

“We will go to Bargari to pay obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib on the occasion of the third death anniversary of two Sikh youths killed at Behbal Kalan,” leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said on phone.

The rebel faction is led by Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira who had given the Congress government 15-day ultimatum to arrest the Badals in the police firing cases. Khaira said he along with other MLAS will attend the congregation to pay tributes to the firing victims.

‘NOT AGAINST KHAIRA’S ULTIMATUM TO GOVT’

Daduwal on Saturday cleared the air on Khaira’s ultimatum to the government. “That was his (Khaira’s) own call, which was endorsed by the ‘sangat’ and we do not have any objection,” he said. Khaira was cautioned against any calls from the Bargari stage in future, he added.

PHOOLKA NOT TO ATTEND GATHERING

AAP leader HS Phoolka, who resigned as an MLA on Friday, said he will not be able to attend the Bargari congregation as he is busy with the cases against Sajjan Kumar, an accused in the 1984 anti-sikh riots, in the Supreme Court.

TWO MINISTERS TO MEET FIRING VICTIMS’ KIN

Cabinet ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhbinder Singh Sukh Sarkaria, will visit families of Behbal Kalan firing victims in Behbal Khurd and Sarawan villages of Faridkot.